Ontario and Quebec brace for wintry blast from major East Coast storm

Residents of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec are bracing for their first major blast of wintry weather, as a storm tracking up through the eastern United States is set to clash with frigid Arctic winds to produce a messy mix heavy snow, rainy and gusty conditions from southern Ontario to the east coast.

The first snow from this storm is expected to fall across the shores of eastern Lake Erie and western Lake Ontario, including Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area, starting this afternoon. However, as those regions are on the far western edge of the storm, they will likely seeing the lightest accumulations — perhaps up to 5 centimetres of snow in Hamilton and Toronto by Wednesday night. The Niagara Peninsula and regions east of Toronto, through Peterborough and Belleville, could see up to 10 centimetres.

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The heaviest snowfall is expected in a band across Kingston, Ottawa, and Montreal, and up the St. Lawrence River Valley into eastern Quebec. The snow is expected to move in late this afternoon or early this evening and continue through the day on Wednesday, with up to 25 centimetres of snow expected by Wednesday night. Areas south of the St. Lawrence River will see the snow change over to rain around midday Wednesday, possibly with a shot of freezing rain as the changing happens. Rainfall amounts could reach up to 80 millimetres by Thursday in some areas of eastern Quebec.

Environment Canada has issued snowfall, rainfall and wind warning across the affected regions.

This storm system is already responsible for 11 deaths in the southern United States, and has caused numerous flight cancellations during the busiest travel week of the year. As the storm tracks north along the east coast of the United States, it is expected to drop up to 30 centimetres of snow or more across Pennsylvania and New York State, and the National Weather Service has issued weather warnings from Georgia to northern Maine.

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Further east, the Maritimes will likely be spared the snow, but the storm will bring heavy rain and gusting winds through Thursday morning. Rain and wind warnings have been issued across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and wind warnings are in effect for Prince Edward Island and western Newfoundland. Rainfall amounts could reach up to 80 millimetres by Thursday morning and gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour are expected at times.

More updates will be posted as this weather system develops.

(Photo courtesy The Canadian Press)

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